


Party Planning

by china_shop



Category: White Collar
Genre: Community: run_the_con, Established Relationship, F/M, Fic, M/M, Multi, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-11
Updated: 2013-03-11
Packaged: 2017-12-05 00:39:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/716880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/china_shop/pseuds/china_shop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>El stretched luxuriously and rolled over to face Neal. The bed always felt lopsided without Peter, but he was only downstairs seeing to Satchmo and locking up. He'd be back in a few minutes. And in the meantime, she had Neal to herself.</p>
<p>Spoilers for 4.12.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Party Planning

**Author's Note:**

> For run_the_con round two, for sinfulslasher's prompt of "surprise party"!
> 
> Spoilers for 4.12.

El stretched luxuriously and rolled over to face Neal. The bed always felt lopsided without Peter, but he was only downstairs seeing to Satchmo and locking up. He'd be back in a few minutes. And in the meantime, she had Neal to herself, his hair rumpled, his eyes bright with pleasure, his hand sliding down her side with an air of polite con-artist's innocence that El found hilarious after their last hour of sensual debauchery. She touched his cheek and drew him into a soft, dark kiss.

"Mmm, you," said Neal, apparently reveling. Then he raised his head and glanced toward the doorway, as if checking they were alone. "Peter's birthday soon," he said, lying back down.

"Two weeks." El sighed softly. "It's a shame he hates being the center of attention. We could've had a lot of fun planning a party."

"Good food, excellent wine," agreed Neal. "Music, candles. Moz knows a guy who knows a guy who has access to industrial grade fireworks."

El lightly swatted his shoulder. "Peter would only have to arrest us." She drew a line down to Neal's solar plexus. "Oh, I saw some gorgeous table decorations in Saks Fifth Avenue. But Peter would hate them."

"It might be worth it," said Neal, slyly. "I like the idea of conspiring with you."

"It does sound like fun." El pictured Peter's pained expression when he figured out what was going on. "But too mean. Maybe we could throw a party for someone else. How about Moz? Opera theme?"

"It's never a good idea to surprise Moz," said Neal, with a slight shake of his head. "Especially if it involves confined spaces, loud noises or federal agents." He brushed his lips down the side of her neck and licked across her pulse point. "Has anyone ever told you you're delectable, Mrs. Burke?"

"I believe it's come up once or twice," said El. She was aiming for airy, but the words came out breathless.

Neal grinned, clearly enjoying the effect he was having on her. "How about Hughes?" he said. El wasn't sure if the change of topic was a deliberate tease or if Neal was distracted with party planning, despite himself. "We could throw him a belated retirement bash. One for the road?"

"That would involve a whole squadron of Suits," said El, forcing herself to be logical. "Probably best not to draw too much attention to ourselves in public, don't you think?"

"As if you could possibly pass unnoticed," murmured Neal. He nuzzled her shoulder. "So, who else, then? Hypothetically speaking, that is. I doubt Diana or Jones would welcome caviar and Bollinger." He looked up, his eyes bright. "Ooh, I know."

 

* * * * *

 

A peal of laughter rang out from the bedroom as Peter reached the top of the stairs. He hurried forward and then paused in the doorway, drinking in the sight of El and Neal in each other's arms, flushed and happy. El saw Peter standing there and tried to hide her amusement, but she caught Neal's eye too soon and couldn't conjure any semblance of gravity. 

"Don't tell me," said Peter. "I'm the punchline."

"Of course not, honey," said El, but then Neal pulled a face at her, and she collapsed into giggles again.

"You're scheming, both of you." Peter stripped his t-shirt over his head. "I'm doomed." Faced with their obvious enjoyment, it was hard to feel concerned.

"Relax," said El.

"Get over here," added Neal.

Peter did, sliding under the covers and reaching for them. El was in the middle, for once. It was a good arrangement – but then, Peter had yet to find a configuration that didn't work for the three of them. 

El pulled him close and gave him a welcome-back-to-bed kiss. "It's nothing to worry about."

Her reassurance had the opposite of its intended effect. Especially when Neal followed up with, "Elizabeth and I were just saying what fun it would be to have an elegant surprise party for your birthday."

Peter's heart sank, but he determinedly kept smiling. It sounded like hell, but they seemed so happy with the idea, he couldn't bear to disappoint them. It would be okay. He would endure it, and the two of them would have a whale of a time.

"Your face," said Neal, shaking his head. He wiped tears of laughter from his eyes, reached across El and ran his thumb lightly along Peter's jaw. "Oh, Peter." He was so entertained by something, some secret, that he seemed lost for words.

El slipped her hand under Peter's face to cup his cheek and gave him the most breathtakingly mischievous smile he'd seen in his life, full of warmth and love and teasing. "And hon? As our present to you, Neal and I thought we'd throw the party for June."

 

END


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